Cabinet structure for washing machines



July 14, 1953 M. A. KREITCHMAN ET AL 2,645,548

CABINET STRUCTURE FOR WASHING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheeti Filed May 21.1948 i I I I N VEN TORS- July 14, 1953 M. A. KREITCHMAN ET AL 2,645,543

CABINET STRUCTURE FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed May 21, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet2 ATTO EY July 14, 1953 M. A. KREITCHMAN ET AL 2,645,543

CABINET STRUCTURE FOR WASHING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 21.1948 INVENTORS; Mar/022 An eli/amaze y AT R M. A. KREITCHMAN ETAL2,645,548

CABINET STRUCTURE FOR WASHING MACHINES July 14, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed May 21. 1948 INVENTORS; MorfoaA.h'ezl zizzzazz y Wi /61' 110K902?July M, 1953 M. A. KREITCHMAN ET AL 2 6 CABINET STRUCTURE FOR WASHINGMACHINES Filed May 21, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 14, 1953UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE CABINET STRUCTURE FOR WASHING MACHINESApplication May 21, 1948, Serial No. 28,473

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to washing machines of the type adapted tobe driven at centrifugal extraction speed as well as at a slower Washingspeed, and is particularly directed to the construction of a cabinet andsupporting structure for such machines.

In the copending application of W. C. Bruckman and M. A. Kreitchman,Serial No. 12,983, filed March 4, 1948, and assigned to assignee of thisapplication, a washing machine is described comprising a tub, clothesbasket, a motor and a speed change transmission assembled as a unitarystructure and mounted on balls to permit freedom of movement thereof,within limits, during washing and fluid extraction speeds. The balls aremounted on bearing surfaces disposed either in a common plane or on acurvature having as its center the imaginary point of suspension of theunitary structure when regarded as a compound pendulum suspended fromsuch point. When the basket has an unbalanced load and is accelerated ordecelerated, the unitary structure may tend to gyrate or nutate beyondthe predetermined free movement limits of the balls as the speed of thebasket passes through the critical range of speed determined by the massof the structure. While the snubbing of these nutations is short induration the vibratory forces thereof must be satisfactorily absorbed bythe cabinet and supports for the washing machine.

While the tub and basket may be mounted with the spin axis disposedvertically or horizontally, the preferred arrangement disclosed in theaforesaid copending application is about 40 to the horizontal. Thisangular relationship of the basket together with clothes lifting andscrubbing vanes insure ideal clothes tumbling, scrubbing, compressingand flexing thus resulting in a most efficient washing action.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved cabinetand support for a washing machine of the character described above,capable of absorbing or withstanding any vibratory forces that may beproduced by the worst eccentric loading that may occur in the loading ofa washing machine; and to so absorb the same with a minimum of cabinetvibration.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cabinet wherein thepanels are braced by and form a part of the structure supporting thetubbasket assembly.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the 2invention itself will behest understood, by reference to the followingdescription of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view in elevation with certain parts removed ofone form of machine embodying cabinet and support features of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the rear body portion of the cabinet with the frontportion, tub and basket assembly removed, the view being takensubstantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cabinet with the tub and basketassembly removed, taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the body portion of the cabinettaken along line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the removable front cabinetportion shown in assembled position in Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another embodiment of the tubsupporting structure; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 'l'! of Fig. 6.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, a washing machine is shownsupported in the cabinet in accordance with the disclosure of theaforesaid copending application, the machine comprising a watersupporting tub I, approximately frusto-conical in shape, and aperforated basket 2 of similar shape inside and closely spaced withrespect to the tub. A centrally located bearing 3 carried by the tub Isupports the basket spindle 4. A motor 5 drives the basket through avariable speed transmission 6, two speeds being sufficient for the usualwashing and spinning operations. Solenoid-operated valves for admittingwater to and draining water from the tub are provided-and when energizedsequentially with the speed changing means of the transmission 6, alsosolenoid-operated, may automatically soak, wash, drain, rinse and spin acharge of clothing and/or other fabrics the desired number of times andin the desired order to complete laundry service. The basket, tub,motor, transmission, and smaller elements are assembled as a rigidunitary structure and are so mounted within a cabinet 1 as to permit afreedom of movement without objectionably vibrating the cabinet.

The cabinet 1 in accordance with our inventlon comprises a main bodyportion 8 and a front removable portion 9. The body portion comprises arear panel [0, two side panels H and I2, and a top panel l3. Theremovable front portion 9 comprises a front panel having upper and lowersubstantially vertical portions l4 and i5 with an intermediate portionl6 inclined therebetween. The upper front panel portion is provided withtwo control knobs Hand l8 while the bottom portion is provided with aninspection door opening I9. The intermediate portion I6 is provided withopening and a cover 2! whereby clothes may be introduced and removedfrom the basket, the door being supported when open in a horizontalposition by hinges 22.

The front edges of the side panels I l and I2 of the main body portionare provided with laterally disposed flanges 23 and 24 while the sidepanels of the removable front portion are likewise provided withlaterally disposed flanges as indicated at 25, Fig. 3. The flanges 23and 24 are provided with holes as indicated at 25 to receive fasteningbuttons 2! carried by the flanges 25 of the removable body portion 9.The front portion 9 is also provided with toe studs 28 and 29 which arereceived in openings at the front end of the flanges 23 and 24 of themain body' portion as best indicated in Fig. 3. The top panel [3 of themain body portion 8 is provided with a downwardly projecting flange atthe front edge thereof, attached to which is an angle strip 30 whichprovidestherewith a pocket to receive the upper downwardly turned edge3| of the front panel portion I4. The front portion 9 may thus beremoved by lifting it so that the studs 28, 29 and the lip 3| clear themain body portion, the buttons 21, of course, being previouslydisengaged.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the tub is mounted on balls so that the tubmay have a free movement within limits during the washing and fluidextraction operations. As shown in Fig. 1, the tub together with thedriving mechanism for the basket contained in the tub are mounted onthree balls, 32, 33 and 34 carried on bearing surfaces disposedsubstantially in a common plane. Each bearing surface over which a ballmay roll is defined by an annular abutment 35 which is engaged by theball should the tub be caused to yrate or nutate beyond a predeterminedamount. The balls being of rubber or a rubber substitute such as Butylprovide considerable snubbing resistance to the slippage of thetubacross the balls when the balls are stopped by abutments 35. Thiscondition, however, only occurs for a very short length of time duringacceleration and deceleration of the basket when bringing the speed ofthe basket up to and down from the fluid extraction speed, and then onlywhen passing through the critical range of speed of the tubb'asket mass.The tub is normally centered upon the balls by two springs 36 and 3'!which are suspended from the rear upper corners of the cabinet and twosmaller springs, such as the one indicated at 38, Fig. 1, connected tothe front removable cabinet portion 9.

During the washing operation and also the through the critical range ofspeed greater forces to withstand forces resulting from nutations of thetub, we have found that the cabinet when properly designed with abracing structure to support the balls that the structure will absorbthevibratory forces during nutation of the tub without any appreciablecabinet vibration. In fact, the vibratory forces are so Well absorbedthat the top of the cabinet is remarkably steady throughout.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 it will be seen that the back panel H) of thecasing is secured preferably by spot welding to flanges turned in fromside panels I and I2 as indicated at 39, Figs. 1 and 3. The panel plateI0 is provided with anangular section 40 at the top to which springs 36and 31 are anchored. About half way down the cabinet the plate l'll isinclined inwardly at 4|, then extended vertically as indicated. at 42and thence back with a right angle turn 43 adjacent flanges 39 to whichit is secured. The plate It is also welded at its top to the downturnedflange 44 of top panel l3.

A bracket 45 is mounted on the box-like portions d|-42 of plate H], thetop plate 46 of which forms the bearing surface for the upper ball 32.The bearing surface for ball 33 is provided by a channel member 41,Figs. 2 and 4, which is also secured to the inclined portion 4!, oneside flange 48 of which is welded or otherwise secured to the side panelll of the cabinet. In the vicinity of the abutment 49 which defines thebearing surface of the channel member ll for ball 33 is a strut 50 whichextends from the rear side of the plate d! to the back corner of thecabinet where it is received in a foot member 5 l.

The bearing surface for the lowermost ball 3:3

is provided by a plate 52 roughly triangular in shape with a flangededge to stiffen it for strength. The abutment 53 which defines thebearing surface for ball M is welded to the apex of plate 52. A strut 54is mounted beneath the bearing surface and is anchored in a foot member55 at the rear corner opposite the foot member 5|. The forward ends ofplate 52 and the channel mem ber ll terminate in foot members 56 and 51,respectively- The cabinet also includes a bottom plate 58 which extendsupwardly at the front toe of the cabinet as indicated at 59 for weldingconnection with lateral flanges 23 and 24. The bottom plate 58 alsoextends beneath foot members 5|, 55, 56 and 51 and for a short distanceup the side and rear panels to which it is welded or otherwise secured.

From the foregoing it is clear that the bearing surfaces for the threeballs are disposed substantially in the same plane or at least inparallel planes so that gyratory movement of the tub will followsubstantially the action of a compound pendulum supported at a remoteimaginary point of the axis of the rotatable basket. As pointed out inthe aforesaid copending application, the restriction of movement of thetub to a plane substantially normal to the axis of rotation of thebasket greatly minimizes the g ratory' movement of the tub in responseto unbalanced loads. While the balls and coa cting bearing surfaces areshown in the present embodiment below the tub, they may obviously belocated at points along the side of the tub and if desired dividedbetween the bottom and side locations. More than three balls may also beused.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 a modified cabinet and ball supportingstructure is shown. The cabinet includes a body portion 60, similar tothe cabinet portion 8 shown in the embodiment described above, in thatit includes back, right and left side and bottom and top panels. Thecabinet, however, is strengthened by a diaphragm 6| which extends fromadjacent the rear upper corner to the front lower edge thereof. Thediaphragm is shaped by known sheet drawing methods so as to havemarginal flanges such as indicated at 62, whereby it may be welded orotherwise secured to the panels of the cabinet. The diaphragm is furtherdrawn to form cups 63, 64, and 65 at desired locations to support theballs 32, 33 and 34. The cups are formed adjacent the center cutout ofthe diaphragm the inner wall of the diaphragm being flanged to addstrength to that portion supporting the cups. The cutout is necessarilylarge so as to accommodate for the driving mechanism mounted on thebottom of the tub.

While both embodiments are shown with three ball supporting cups only,it will be understood, of course, that a greater number may be provided,if desired. It will also be understood that the plane of the bearingsurfaces need not be inclined as shown but may be disposed at adifferent angle or in the horizontal or vertical, if desired.Furthermore, the bearing surfaces need not conform to a single orseveral parallel planes but may conform to one or more concave surfaceshaving a center on the axis of rotation of the basket.

While we have described above the principles of our invention inconnection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A cabinet for washing machines comprising a body portion having arear panel and two side panels and supporting means carried at least inpart by said rear and said side panels, said supporting means presentinga plurality of fixed parallel plane bearing surfaces inclined at anangle with respect to said rear panel, one adjacent each of said panels,the bearing surface closest to the rear panel being at an elevationhigher than the other bearing surfaces and comprising a bracket mountedon the rear panel, one side of said bracket serving as one of saidbearing surfaces.

2. In a cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said supporting meansfurther includes a plate extendin from said rear panel adjacent one ofsaid side panels toward the front edge thereof, means providing abearing surface carried by said plate, another plate disposed adjacentthe forward edge of the other of said side panels, and means providing abearing surface carried by said another plate.

MORTON A. KREITCHMAN. WALTER J. OLSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 929,865 Mahony Aug. 3, 1909 1,005,963 Groat Oct. 17, 19111,276,031 Casper Aug. 20, 1918 1,452,242- .Tensen Apr. 17, 19231,636,176 Fisher July 19, 1927 1,837,845 Zerbi Dec. 22, 1931 1,882,968Schenck Oct. 18, 1932 1,952,574 Adams Mar. 27, 1934 2,002,646 Smith May28, 1935 2,037,151 Safford Apr. 14, 1936 2,217,351 Soderquist Oct. 8,1940 2,230,345 Bradbury Feb. 4, 1941 2,243,565 Kimball et al May 27,1941 2,296,257 Breckenridge Sept. 22, 1942 2,296,260 Breckenridge Sept.22, 1942 2,296,261 Breckenridge et al. Sept. 22, 1942 2,309,940 DouglasFeb. 2, 1943 2,323,765 Haberstump July 7, 1943 2,343,742 BreckenridgeMar. 7, 1944 2,386,788 Geldhof et a1 Oct. 16, 1945 2,414,506 Bowen Jan.21, 1947

